The Lord’s prayer

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:1-4
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

REFLECTION
Teach us to pray
This shortened version of the Our Father in Luke, like that longer version in Matthew, reminds us of our being sons and daughters of a loving Father in heaven. As such, we are invited to show that filial love, raising our voice to him who looks after us daily from above.

At the same time, the prayer expresses the wish and desire that we be like him who is generous and who does not count our sins but continually offers forgiveness. And, realizing how the Father is so merciful and forgiving, we are also reminded to be the same towards others.

Our own parents are often our models of loving others, but the Father of us all is our supreme model.